This class is extremely difficult, time consuming, and dry. I regret taking this class. The essays are harshly graded, everyone got B-'s and C's on the first paper. In addition to papers, you also have a midterm and final (both of which are in class multiple choice AND free response.) This class is unfairly graded and I would not recommend.

Professor Smoak is a very intelligent and captivating lecturer. I enjoyed his class. There are two reading quizzes, a midterm and final. And a required visit to LACMA which was free and actually interesting. There is also a group project to invent a writing system. Sounds challenging and it is, but with the right group and ideas it can become fun. I’m selling the required textbook for $20. Text me if interested **********.

I am a life sciences major that took this class expecting it to be pretty hard based on other reviews. The material does not require you to have a religious background, as it is mostly about the history and architecture of Jerusalem. I honestly found it to be an interesting GE/Writing II. Make sure to cater your papers to what your TA wants. In discussion, my TA was very clear in instructing us how to organize our papers. If you struggle with writing, definitely take advantage of their office hours. The papers are not the kind that you can write the night before--be smart about how much time you spend to not only write it but also gather your information. The second paper is LONG--a minimum of 7 pages. This is my fourth class that requires essays, but my first time since high school to make outlines to organize my thoughts. This definitely helped me get A's on the papers.

Discussions are mandatory due to the quizzes. They are based on the readings, so try your best to not fall behind. Lecture attendance is not mandatory, BUT he does not post the slides online, nor is the lecture Bruincasted. I highly recommend that you attend every lecture--you will end up using a lot of Smoak's information to write the papers and answer the short answer questions on the exams.

Since the midterm and final are worth 10% each of your overall grade, it really comes down to your TA and how harshly they grade your papers. I was in the A- to A range for the papers; I got a C on the midterm and an A+ on the take-home final due to the wildfires. I ended up with an A overall.

I took this class as a pre-med physiology major, and loved every bit of it! As far as writing 2 requirements go, this course is the way to do it. You only have to write two papers- one literary analysis, and one research paper. For each paper you do a draft and a revision. There's also an in class midterm and in class final, which are easy! The readings are light (20-30 pages twice a week), but discussion is VERY mandatory. It's an easy A for a writing 2 class if you GO TO LECTURE (he will literally tell you what's on the exams, and sometimes give extra credit for being in lecture), and meet with your TA about the papers. This class is especially easy if you already have a religious background, the people who struggled came into it with no knowledge. There are weekly reading responses which are one page double spaced, and super easy points. Overall, a great class.

I have mixed feelings about this class. For one, I enjoyed the fact that I was able to learn about Jerusalem's history - especially its connection to the Bible and the way it is intertwined with the Christian faith. The class helped me see Jerusalem from the perspective of sacred space, an idea I had not considered before. Yet, this notion of sacred space was somewhat difficult to write about in the essays for this class. As a result, I found myself struggling to write the papers. My TA was good/helpful, but also a pretty challenging grader. Thus, I would only recommend this class if you're interested in learning about Jerusalem from a unique perspective and are willing to put in a lot of time to write the papers.

PLEASE save yourself and don't take this class. The TAs grade the essays so harshly, and lectures are painfully boring. There are two major essays, a midterm, a final, one/two weekly write-ups that are one/two pages based on the readings/bible verses. I understand writing 2 classes have a heavier course load, but this was just ridiculous. It helps if you are currently religious because half the class is basically Sunday school and you are memorizing bible verses, but if you atheist/agnostic etc. then I wouldn't recommend this course.

The professor was passionate. There were guest lecturers throughout the quarter (hit-or-miss). The midterm and final were doable, but study a few days before because there was a lot of material to cover.

It's an interesting topic to learn of. It is friendly towards people who are not familiar with Christianity and Judaism. It is a little less friendly for the most of us who are not familiar with the geography in the Middle East. While geography isn't tested on, Smoaks refers to land around Jerusalem during lecture in a way that implies we should know about the geography. His lectures are not boring and it's somewhat important to attend them. Your TA kinda decides if you're going to enjoy this class or not. I had a terrible TA, he graded our papers hard and was condescending in section. I strongly felt that if I had a different TA I would have stressed less about this class. There's 2 papers and weekly reading responses with the second paper about your research on a building in Jerusalem.

I have no idea why he has such a low score. Smoak is one of the best professors at UCLA. He's engaging, relatable, funny and just all around great. I'm taking another class with him next quarter even though I was just taking the first one as an elective. He's that good. He gave us very comprehensive study guides for both the midterm and final (worth 30% each) and there's an 8-12 page research paper due at the end of the quarter which he assigns on the syllabus. I haven't received my grade yet but if I don't receive an A its my own fault. TAKE THIS CLASS, YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

I absolutely loved taking this class with Prof. Smoak. He was funny during lecture and the lectures were engaging. This is probably the best class I've taken at UCLA so far. It does help a little if you have some prior knowledge to Christianity or Judaism, which could probably be a problem for some people. Since it is a writing class your TA probably plays a big factor in whether or not you like/do well in the class. I had a great TA. The workload isn't heavy: a one page reading response every week, 2 papers, 1 midterm and 1 final. The midterm and final were pretty easy (the final was easier) and not worth much of the grade but mostly meant to help you get information about your paper. Paper #2 is a research paper and required a lot of effort, but it was still interesting.